Has anyone heard of Piffy?

[Flummery]

I've tried Google and can confrim the existence of the saying - my husband is convinced I've made it up! As a kid, when in gormless mode (most of the time!) I was told not to stand there 'like Piffy'. Sometimes it was elaborated to 'Like Piffy on a rock cake'.

It seems to be largely known in the North West - I'm from Manchester and Piffy was compared to most of my peers at one time or another by long sufferng parents. What I can't seem to find out is, was there a real character by that name. (And why did he spend so much time on a rock cake?)

[maytreefrannie]

Never heard of him, Flummery, but he (or she) sounds just like me.

[allotmentlady]

Hiya flummery, some eye opening examples of what piffy means!

Urban Dictionary: piffy

[Flummery]

Hiya flummery, some eye opening examples of what piffy means!

Urban Dictionary: piffy

I read that one. It was definition no. 2 that was used in my day!

[Nicos]

Yup- my granny used to say - don't stand there like piffy- meaning don't stand there looking stupid/left out/friendless..she was from Stretford.

[Nicos]

A poem.....

Piffy on the railway, picking up stones
Along came an engine and broke Piffy's bones
"Oh"! said Piffy, "That's not fair"
"Oh!" said the Engine driver "I don't care"


no idea who wrote it but.....

[NOG]

Never heard it down souf

[SarzWix]

Never heard it in the North East either, or Yorkshire!
We were always told "Don't stand there like a tin of milk!"... I still say it to my kids

[BumbleB]

Down sarf, I was told not to stand there like a ninny! think it means neither here nor there.

[Snadger]

Don't stand like a spare prick at a wedding round these parts!

[lainey lou]

Don't stand there like one of lewis' (my Ma's a scouser)

[Flummery]

Aha - we had that too. There was (probably still is!) a big department store in Manchester called Lewis's. They had a particularly gormless looking set of manequins in the windows in the 50s so looking like one of Lewis's was a real put-down!

[pipscariad]

It's not just you, as others have already said! I'd never heard it until I met my OH (from Manchester also) - who uses the expression, "Don't stand there like Piffy on a rock bun", to mean being useless. He says he remembers an article about Piffy in The Guardian yonks ago. In fact, he's just looked it up for you too, and theres an explanation on phrases.org.uk, apparently!

My bet is that very few without northern links will have heard of this one. My OH is very interested in dialect and local words, and there are some crackers out there, many of them connected to Welsh, especially those in the north west (unsurprisingly).

Better go and get some work done, I was only lurking as a guest whilst I had a cup of coffee, but your post prompted me to log in!

[bobleponge]

Nope, clearly for you norvern types

[basketcase]

I've tried Google and can confrim the existence of the saying - my husband is convinced I've made it up! As a kid, when in gormless mode (most of the time!) I was told not to stand there 'like Piffy'. Sometimes it was elaborated to 'Like Piffy on a rock cake'.

It seems to be largely known in the North West - I'm from Manchester and Piffy was compared to most of my peers at one time or another by long sufferng parents. What I can't seem to find out is, was there a real character by that name. (And why did he spend so much time on a rock cake?)

Me, me!

I was born just outside of Manchester. My mum (from Accrington) used to say "Don't just stand there like Piffy" - but it was "on a rock BUN", not cake